1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sign brackets, and more particularly, to highway overhead sign brackets that are capable of withstanding high wind load forces by changing the angle of incidence of the wind relative to the sign.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several designs for sign brackets have been designed in the past. None of them, however, includes a device that allows a highway sign to shift to the horizontal under heavy wind load to reduce the stress on both the sign and support structure while remaining easy to re-erect after risk of damaging winds subside.
Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,631 issued to Kelly. However, it differs from the present invention because the Kelly device does not allow easy adjustment of the shear pressure exerted onto the sign to allow the sign to freely move and permits dangerous swinging of the sign after it begins to move. Furthermore, the Kelly design requires significant structure above the sign that is unnecessary in Applicant's invention.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.